Fluid control mechanism



July 11, 1939. ,1. A. CHARTER FLUID cbNTRoL MECHANISM Filed Oct. 29, 19:56 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- 11, 1939. J. A. CHARTER 2,165,695

FLUID CONTROL MECHANISM I Filed Qct. 29, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1570622221".- Jamed a. C/mrZ'eI' @y: 4 77100-2 ayd.

Wuiente July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID CONTROL 'MECHANISM James A. Charter, Chicago, Ill. Application October 29, 1936, Serial No. 108,165 I 6 Claims. (01. 123-139) This invention relates generally to fluid control mechanism, and more particularly to mechanisms for controlling the charging of internal combustion engines with fluid fuel.

The primary object of the invention is to provide improved, eificiently operable, and relatively simple means for timingly forcing fluid fuel into charging. association with the cylinder or ignition chambers of an internal combustion engine.

Due to the inherent structural features of conventional fuel pumps and the like with which I am familiar, said pumps are not adapted to function satisfactorily when used with internal combustion engines, which operate over a relatively wide range of speeds. Generally speaking, con- I ventional fuel pumps have a constant degree plunger movement when used, for example, with Diesel engines having relatively constant speed operation. Should the engine be subjected to a wide range of operating speeds, these conventional pumps will not function satisfactorily. In other words, at slow or idling speeds, a sluggish discharge of fluid by the pump would be experienced, and hence combustion would be proportionately inefficient.

Due to piping which connects the fuel pump with the engine cylinder, an appreciable lag in fluid delivery from the pump outlet to the cylinder takes place. It is an object of the present invention tocompensate for this lag between low and high speeds, and to this end I propose to advance the time of starting of the pump plungers and thereby compensate for high engine speed and for heavy load conditions. 1

More specifically, I contemplate initiating the delivery stroke of the pump plunger at high engine speedin advance of the initiation of the delivery stroke at low or idling-speeds. Thus I propose, at idling or low engine speeds, to cause the fuel to'enter the engine cylinder during the interval of engine crank movement which will permit carburetion before the compression stroke is completed, and before ignition takes place. Likewise, for high speeds or when greater power is required, the charging of the cylinder with fuel begins at a somewhat earlier interval so as to afiord a longer charging period. Thus the carburetion of the air in the cylinder at low or high speeds will be completed at substantially the same time with respect to the crank movement,

that is, inadvance of the completion of the compression of the charge in the cylinder and before the ignition spark occurs. i

The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein-'- Figure 1 discloses fluid control mechanism of the type contemplated by the present invention 5 shown in operative association with an internal combustion engine;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the fluid controlling mechanism shown in Figure L'said section being taken substantially 1 along the line 2-'2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view take; substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure Figure 4 is a detailed view taken substantially l5 along the line 4-4 of Figure 2';

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the-line 5--5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is an end view partially in section of the left end of the mechanism disclosed in Figure 2, said view being taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detailed disclosure of the valve mechanism which controls the delivery of fluid fuel into the ignition chambers of the engine; and

Figure 8 discloses the manner in which the stroke or the pistons may automatically be controlled in timed relation with the speed of the engine.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughoutthe various figures, it will be seen that my invention contemplates a fluid fuel controimechanism designated'generally by the numeral 10 (Figure 1). In Figure 1 this mechanism I0 is shown in operative association with an internal combustion engine i2 designated by dotted lines. Also, a suitable foot operated mechanism I4 is shown 40 in Figure 1, which enables the stroke of the pump pistons to be governed in accordance with the engine speed, as will hereinafter be more clearly described.

. The mechanism [0 includes a suitable pump housing l6. Within the housing 16 are a plurality of reciprocable pump plungers l8, eachof said plungers being reciprocable within a suitable sleeve 20. The sleeves 20 are secured in position by means of suitable threaded sleeves 5o 22 which make threaded engagement with the pumphousing or casing i6, as clearly shownin Figure 2. The right extremity of each plunger l8, as vie ed in Figure 2, is connected with an actuating block 24. It will be noted that these 56 blocks 24 are reciprocable within companion recesses 26 (Figure formed along the inner periphery of a ring 28 which is fitted within the casing I6 and secured in place by suitable means such as screws 30. The actuating blocks 24, together with their companion plungers I8, are normally urged to the left (Figure 2) through the agency of coiled springs 32 interposed between an end frame or plate 34 and a washer 36 mounted upon a member 38 projecting from the block 24 in axial alinement with the complementary plunger I6.

Operatively associated with the inner or left extremity of each plunger I8 is a fluid intake channel 40 and a fluid outlet channel 42. as the plungers are moved to the right through the agency of a cam member 44 (later to be described), fluid under pressure is adapted to pass through a check valve 46 provided within a screw member 48, thence through the intake channel 40 into association with the left or inner extremity of the plunger I8. As the plunger I8 is suddenly urged to the left through the agency of the spring 32 (in a manner later ta be described), a charge of fluid is suddenly forced through the outlet channel 42 and thence through conduits 50, which connect said channels with control valve mechanism 52. These valve mechanisms 52 shown more in detail in Figure '7, connect with the ignition chamber of the engine I2, and thus serve to control the delivery of fluid to said chamber as the plungers I8 move inwardly or to the left, as viewed in Fig- 'ure 2.

As previously stated, movement of the plungers III to the right against the action of the coiled springs 32 takes place in response to the rotation of the special actuating cam 44. In the present embodiment this cam 44 is in the form of a sector or quadrant, as clearly indicated in Figure 5, and is provided with a cam surface 54 which rises from its lowest point designated by the letter A (Figures 2 and 5) to its highest point designated by the letter B. This cam quadrant or sector 44 is mounted upon a shaft 56 and is rotatable therewith through the agency of a suitable key and keyway structure 58. A pin 60 (Figure 2) also serves to positively secure the cam. 44 in proper fixed position upon the shaft 56. This shaft 56 is driven in timed relation with the crank shaft of the engine I2.

The cam surface 54 is designed to coact with companion surfaces 54a on the actuating members of blocks 24. Thus when the cam 54 occupies the position shown in Figure 2, rotation thereof will not cause any movement to be experienced by the plungers I8. An adjusting screw 62 is positioned in end-to-end relation with the left extremity of the shaft 56 and abuts a suitable anti-friction member or ball 64. By turning the screw 62 so as to move the shaft 56 to the right (Figure 2), the cam surfaces 54 are correspondingly shifted so as to cause the high point B of the surface 54 to engage the companion surface 540. of the block 24, and thus move the complementary block and its associated plunger I8 to the right. In other words, the degree to which the shaft 56 is shifted to 'the right will determine the movement or stroke of the plungers I8. As the cam member 44 rotates in a -counter-clockwise direction, as viewed from the right of Figure 2 or as viewed in Figure 5, the plungers I8 will successively experience a degree of retraction which is determined by the degree of adjustment made through the agency of the adjusting screw 62. As the high point B of the cam surface 54 leaves each actuating block 24, the spring 32 complementary thereto suddenly urges said block and associated plunger I8 to the left, thereby forcing the charge of fluid fuel which had previously been taken in during the retracting stroke of said plunger to be forced into the ignition cylinder of the engine I2 through the control valve 52. Obviously the number of plungers to be used will be determined by the number of cylinders in the engine I2. For the purpose of illustrating one practical embodiment.of the invention, it has been disclosed in operative association with an 8-cylinder engine, which nece'ssitates the use of 8 plungers I8 and their associated parts suchas the actuating blocks 24,

the springs 32, the ports 40 and 42, the conduits 50, and the control valves,52. The inward or charging} stroke of the plungers I8 is obviously timed to take place just prior to the period of ignition. However, the present invention contemplates a novel. and extremely practical control arrangement (later to. be described) which insures proper carburization 'regardless of the speeds at wl'r ch the engine I2 is operating.

A suitable fluid pump 66 is employed to en-. able the delivery of fluid under the required pressure into association with the inner extremi-,

ties of the plungers I8. This pump 66 includes an eccentric drive 68, which is eccentrically mounted upon the hollow extremity of a shaft 10. The right extremity-of the shaft 56 previously described extends Within the recess 12 provided in the shaft I0, as clearly shown in Figure 2. Ro

tation is imparted to the shaft 56 by the shaft I0 through the agency of a cross pin I4, the opposite projecting portions of which extend into complementary slots I6 formed helically within the hollow portion of the shaft "I0. The eccentric actuating member 68 operates within a ring 18 (Figure 3) which is connected with an upper end of a pump piston or plunger 80. Thus for each complete rotaticn'of the shaft 10,.the pump plunger 80 experiences one complete cycle of reciprocation. The lower extremity of the pump piston or plunger 80 is reciprocable within a suitable pump housing or casing 82, and this casing is secured bymeans of suitable bolts 84 to the casing I 6. During the upward movement of the piston,80 fluid is drawn in from a suitable reservoir or other source of supply (not shown) through a conduit 86, a check valve 88, a channel 90, and thence into the chamber 92. During the downward or compression stroke of said plunger 80 fluid is discharged under pressure through a channel 94, a check valve 06, a'channel 98, and then into a pressure or accumulator chamber I00 which is presented within a casing I02. Fluid which enters the casing I02 passes through a filter I04 and is then free to pass outwardly under pressure through a conduit I06. The opposite extremity of this conduit I06 is hydraulically connected with an annular chamber I08 provided within the pump housing I 6. The .check valves 46 previously described receive fluid from this annular chamber I08 through channels IIO. In this manner fluid under pressure is always available for delivery to the ,fluid dispensing plungers I8. In order to prevent the development of excessive pressures within the conduit I06, a suitable by-passing relief valve H2 is provided, which permits the return of fluid to the source of supply (not shown).

In order to assure the proper delivery of fluid fuel into theignition chamber of the engine I2, each of the valve mechanisms 52 is provided with a valve head Ill of special design. This valve head is normally urgedtoward the upper position shown in Figure I through the-agency J! a coiled spring H6, which acts against a collar IIO secured to the upper end of the valve stem I20. The valve housing I22 is seatedwithin :he wall of the engine' l2 and a threadedcoupling I24 at the opposite extremity serves to-conmeet the valve chamber I20 with its complenentary conduit 50. As'the charge of fluid fuel inder pressure is forced through the conduit 50 and into the valve chamber I26, the valve mead I" is unseated and, as it moves inwardly, my foreign material which may have collected n the vicinity of the head during the previous aeriod of explosionfor example, carbon parti- 316s and the like, is scraped away due to the en- ;agement of the periphery of the head Ill with ;he adjacent cylindrical inner periphery of the valve casing I22. Also, the restricted annular area or orifice I20 presented by the frusto-coni- :al shape of thehead Ill causes fluid to be forced into the ignition chamber at a great speed, .hereby washingaway any possible foreign mat- ;er andproperly delivering the atomized fluid :or carburizing the air within the ignition chamier. Upon the'completlon of the charging oparation, the spring H serves to seat the valve iead Ill.

Conventional fluid control mechanisms or :umps are not adapted to function satisfactorily vhen used with internal combustion, engines which operate overa relatively wide range of apeeds. )r idling speeds the delivery of fluid to the igni- ;ion chamber is sluggish as compared with the lelivery of fuel during high speed operation of .he engine. I propose to so control the func- ;ioning of the actuatingcam 44 (just described) is to insure the delivery of charging fuel at the proper time regardless of the speed at which ;he engine is operating.

It will be apparent from the foregoing de- :criptlon that the angular setting of the cam It with respect to the position of the engine crank shaft will determine the period at which fluid fuel will be suddenly forced into the ignition :hamber due to the action of the springs 32 men the plungers I8. Therefore; it is extremeimportant that the setting of the cam 44 :e synchronized with the engine crank shaft movement at all engine speeds. There is a certain lag of fluid flow resulting from the movenent of the plungers I0, due tothe frictional resistance set up within the piping or conduits 50. etc. This lag between slow speeds' and high ipeeds can, be compensated for by controlling the time at which the plungers I0; move forward- Iy to cause the discharge of fluid into the cylin- :lers. I accomplish this control of the cam 00 by providing the pin 14 and slot I6 previously described. Thus when the engine is operating at high speeds, the cam 04 is automatically advanced in relation to the monk angle, and this permits the charging of the air within the enzine cylinder to be started at a period which is somewhat earlier than the time at which said cylinder begins to be charged under slow speed or idling operation. The helical disposition of the recess 18 causes thecam 44 to experience notation as it is advanced 'to the right (Figure 2). In other words, as the stroke of the pump lungers I8 islncreased, the cam 44 experiences an This is due to the fact that during low advance setting so as to insure the carburizing of the air within the cylinder in advance of the completion of the compression stroke of the pis-' ton within the engine cylinder and always before the ignition spark occurs.

time, regardless of engine speeds, is accomplished.- The angular setting of the cam 'may be controlled in synchronism with the speed of operation of the engine I2 by meansof the mechanism dis- 10 closed in Figure 1. The foot operated mechanism II includes a conventional foot operated accelerator member or pedal I30, which is connected to a bell crank I22 by means of a link I34. The bell crank I32 is connected through a flexible mem- 5 bar I36 with a lever I38, which is mounted upon the screw shaft". Thus, when the engine is speeded up by depressing the accelerator'pedal I30, the screw'shaft 02 is rotated so as to shift the cam 44 longitudinally. The axial or longim tudinal shifting of the cam 44 causes said cam to be rotatably adjusted due to the cooperation of the pins 14 and helical slots I6, as previously described. In this manner the setting of the cam 04 is synchronized with crank shaft movement .35

at all engine speeds. Suitable means such as springs I40 andll2 serve to rotate the screw shaft 02 in anopposite direction when the accelerator pedal is released. Obviously the specific foot-operated mechanism for controlling the rotation of the screw shaft 62 may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In Figure 8 I have disclosed a mechanism whereby the setting of the cam 44 may be automatically controlled in response to variations in engine speeds. employ a governor mechanism I44. As the. centrifugal members I46 of the governor mechanism I move outwardly, a shaft its, corresponding able lever I48 which connects with a second lever 50 I50 through a spring I52 operates to continuously urge a collar I54 connected with the governor mechanism I to the left. In other words, the spring I82 constantly urges the shaft 56a to the left. Cooperating with the spring I52 is a coiled 455 spring I56 interposed between theextremities of the governor arms, as shown in Figure 8.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the shafts I0 and 10a are driven from andin synchronism with the engine crank shaft so through suitable gearing I58. The gearing I58. disclosed in the drawings is used for four-cycle engines; whereas when the fluid control mecha nism above described is used with two-cycle engines, the shafts I0 and 10a may be driven at the same speed as the crank shaft.- In other words, no reduction gearing is necessary for twocycle engines. Attention is also directed to a hardened ground plug I60 fitted within the sleeves 20 at the inner extremities of the plungcrs I8. By employing these plugs, it is possible to lag the cylinders or bores within the sleeves 20 and thereby enable a perfect fit of the plungers- I8 within said bores. In order to facilitate lubrication, a suitable lubricant can be introduced With this arrangement, complete carburization at the proper To accomplish this, I propose to- This .45

through a conduit "I (Figure 2). Thus the chamber which houses the eccentric drive mechanism, the actuating cam, etc., maybe supplied with the required amount of lubricant. Each plunger I8 is provided with passageways I64 to enable a supply of lubricant to be directed to the peripheral surfaces of the plungers. Each time the plunger is suddenly urged to the left (Figure 2) through the action of the springs 32 and into engagement with the hardened plugs I60, the lubricant within the passageways I64 is urged by impact into association with the contacting peripheral surfacesof the plungers l8 and the complementary bore in the sleeve 20. It will also be seen that a suitable cap I66 and packing I68 encircle the adjusting screw 62.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that my invention contemplates the provision of a fluid control mechanism for internal combustion engines, which is extremely simple in construction and requires a minimum number of constituent elements. The device may be manufactured by practicing conventional machine shop methods. It will also be apparent that by the use of my improved fluid control mechanism the operating efflciency of an internal combustion engine will be materially increased above that obtained when conventional fluid control or injector mechanisms are employed. While I have shown certain speciflc structural features of construction, it will be apparent that my invention contemplates other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In fluid control mechanism'for an internal combustion engine, a housing, a plurality of fluid pressure generating plungers therein, springs for causing said plungers to experience a fluid discharge movement to inject fluid into the engine, cam means for successively tensioning and then releasing said springs to control the injection strokes of said plungers in predetermined relation, and means including an adjustable element and operative connections beginning and the length of said injection strokes whereby to maintain substantially constant, for a given speed, the time of ending said injection strokes.

2. In fluid control mechanism for an internal combustion engine, a housing, a plurality of fluid generating plungers therein, spring mechanism for causing said plungers to-experience a fluid discharge movement to inject fluid into the engine, rotary cam means for successively tensioning and then releasing said springs to control the injection strokes of said plungers in predetermined timed relation said springs urging the cam means axially in one direction and means including a mechanism responsive to the speed of the engine urging said cam means in opposition to said springs for axially and rotatively shifting said rotary cam means relative to said plungers whereby simultaneously to vary the time of beginning and the length of said injection strokes as the speed of. the engine varies.

3; In a fluid control mechanism for an in- -ternal combustion engine, a body casting hav- "ing a plurality of annularly arranged openings, each of said openings having a pump cylinder therein, means threadedly engaging said body casting and retaining said cylinders in said openings, pump plungers slidably mounted in said cylinders and passing through said retaining means, said cylinders having inlet and outlet ports communicating with inlet and outlet passages formed in said body casting, a driving shaft journaled in said body. casting concentrically with said cylinders and-pump plungers, cam means carried by said shaft forcontrolling the suction movements of said plungers, spring means controlling the pressure discharge movements of said plungers, means including an adjustable element and operative connections between said cam means and said spring means for axially and rotatably adjusting the shaft and the length of the injection stroke of said pump plungers.

4. In a fluid control mechanism for an internal combustion engine, a body casting having a plurality of annularly arranged pump cylinders therein, pump plungers slidably mounted in said cylinders, said cylinders having inlet and outlet ports communicating with inlet and outlet passages formed in said body casting, a ring secured to said casting and having a plurality of spaced apart axially directed grooves in radial alinement with said plungers, tappet means se cured to the inner ends of said plungers and engaging in said grooves, springs engaging said tappets for controlling the pressure discharge movements of said plungers, a driving shaft journaled in said body casting concentrically with said cylinders and pump plungers, cam means carried by said shaft for engaging said tappets for controlling the suction movements of said plungers means adjustable in one direction for axially and rotatably moving said shaft with said cam means to increase the length of the stroke of each plunger and to advance the time at which the stroke shall begin, said springs acting on said cam means in an opposite direction so as to decrease the length of the stroke and retard its time of beginning .upon adjustment of said adjustable means in the opposite direction.

5. In a fluid control mechanism for an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, a body casting having a plurality of annularly arranged pump cylinders therein, pump plungers slidably mounted in said cylinders, said cylinders having inlet and outlet ports communicating with inlet and outlet passages formed in said body casting, tappet means secured to the inner ends of said plungers, springs engaging said tappets for controlling the pressure movements of said plungers, a driving shaft journaled in said body casting concentrically with said cylinders and pump plungers, cam means carried by said shaft for successively engaging said tappets to control the suction strokes of said plungers, to tension said springs and to release said tappets thereby to control the initiation of the pressure strokes of said plungers, means including an adjustable element and operative connections between said springs and said cam means for adjusting said driving shaft axially, with said cam means, to

vary the length of the strokes of said plungers, and an adjustable driving connection between the crankshaft and said driving shaft for rotating said driving shaft relative to said crankshaft upon axial adjustment of said driving shaft whereby to vary the time of initiation of the strokes of the plungers.

6. In fluid control mechanism for an internal combustion engine having a crank shaft, 2. housing, a plurality of fluid pressure generating plungers in said housing, spring mechanism for causing said plungers to experience a fluid discharge movement to inject fluid into the engine, rotary cam means driven from said crank shaft for urging said pluhgers against the action of said spring mechanism to condition said plungers for making said discharge movement in predetermined timed relation, means adjustable in one direction for shifting said rotary cam means axially relative to said plungers to increase the stroke of said plungers and for simultaneously rotating said cam means relative to said crank shaft to advance the time at which the discharge movement of each plunger shall begin, said spring mechanism being operatively connected to the rotary cam means and operable when the adjustable means is adjusted in the opposite direction to shift said cam means axially relative to the plungers to decrease the stroke of said plungers and to simultaneously rotate the cam means to retard the time at which the m discharge movement of each plunger shall begin.

JAMES A. CHARTER. 

